Audio By Carbonatix
The Krachi West Constituency MP, Helen Ntoso, has called for an increase in the representation of women in all spheres of leadership in the country.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Tuesday, the NDC lawmaker bemoaned the low rate of women occupying positions in the country.
According to her, women excel more at the helm of affairs, adding that the country's fortunes would have been better if a woman was to have been made the Finance Minister.
"As a nation, the 30% that the UN has asked nations to appoint women as representatives in leadership, Mr Speaker, Ghana we are down. So there's the need for Ghana to do something about the 30% women representation in leadership.
In Africa, Mr. Speaker, you have countries like Rwanda - 61.3%, Burundi -38.2%, Senegal - 43%, Cameroon - 33.9%, Ethiopia -38.8%, Namibia - 44.2%, Tanzania - 36.7%, Uganda - 34.9%, Zimbabwe -31.9%, South Africa - 45.8%, in Ghana, we're only 14%.
Mr Speaker, we've got to do something about this. Mr Speaker, I dare to say that when women are in positions, I dare to say that they do better than men. Mr Speaker, I also dare to say, if the Finance Minister was a woman, we'll not find ourselves in this situation that we find ourselves in", the MP said.
In her submissions, she also advocated that if the National Democratic Congress wins power in the next election, the party should consider more women for ministerial positions in the areas of defence, finance and interior.
Speaking on the back of this year's International Women's Day on March 8, the legislator also used the opportunity to congratulate all the forty women currently in Ghana's 8th Parliament.
The call by Helen Ntoso adds to the numerous advocacies for women to be given due recognition in the country's governance and other relevant spheres of national life.
This call, which has become a global concern, underpins the International Women's Day celebration, which falls on March 8, every year. The annual commemoration seeks to rehash the need for women to be empowered, with more focus on the challenges that undermine their progress and plague their wellbeing.
The theme for this year's International Women's Day is: “Break the bias".
According to the UN Women, "The year 2022 is pivotal for achieving gender equality in the context of climate change and environmental and disaster risk reduction, which are some of the greatest global challenges of the twenty-first century. Without gender equality today, a sustainable future and an equal future remains beyond our reach.
This year’s IWD observance is in recognition and celebration of the women and girls who are leading the charge on climate change adaptation and response, and to honour their leadership and contribution towards a sustainable future".
Latest Stories
-
Oil falls on increased Gulf supply and hopes for US-Iran talks
2 hours -
South Sudan’s Kiir dissolves government, clears hurdles to delayed election
2 hours -
Ntim Fordjour accuses government of failing to act on Ghana’s drug crisis
4 hours -
Autopsy shows Hayden Panettiere died from a drug overdose
4 hours -
Earl Spencer should pull Diana book from shelves, Piers Morgan says
4 hours -
IMF tells advanced economies to ‘bring debt down’ as borrowing costs rise
5 hours -
‘I have never felt heat like that’ – a survivor on watching 33 cellmates die in Nigeria
5 hours -
16 arrested, 4 printing hubs busted in major counterfeit currency crackdown
5 hours -
Sir Jim Ratcliffe suspends production at key UK plants blaming high gas prices
5 hours -
Major US outlets suspend shared Trump coverage in protest at media ban
5 hours -
Trump says he would back ban on diesel exports
6 hours -
Lekzy DeComic to feature four generations of comedians on upcoming showÂ
6 hours -
Nigeria wins arbitration as Sunrise’s $400 million hydropower claim dismissed
6 hours -
Xhaka under investigation over Covid-19 certificate
6 hours -
FAW chief questions Infantino’s Fifa reform claims
6 hours